Aerial propulsion



' Aug, z, 1927. 1,637,389

P. PETERSON AERIAL PROPULsIoN Filedv Deo. 1`, 1925 ATTORNEYS.

Puma Pbmeam Patented Aug. 2,l 1927.

UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE.

:PETER PETERSON, F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

AERIAL PROPULSION.

Application led December This invention relates to aeronautics andmoreparticularly to the construction of a propeller and the`means foroperating the y same to be applied in aerial propulsion. With thedevelopments ofthe gas engine it becamepossible on account of the light.

weight of the engine proper and fuel therefor to successfully operateflying machines of both heavier than air'. and lighter than air types.Both of these types of iying machines have become highly developed withthe use of the gas'engine but an electric ignition system is required asa part of their means of propulsion.

An aeroplane depending upon the ignition system of its engine for ytheoperation of its propelling means becomes useless and dangerous shouldanything happen to the ignition system to cause it to fail` to functionZ0 properly. The army aeroplane has become a recognized unit for bothcombat and defense purposes in the armies of the world, and a recentdiscovery in the' electrical art has made it possible to disorganize orrender inoperative ignition system such as employed in` the present dayaeroplanes, the effect of which can be transmitted to a great distanceandvin time of war would render aeroplanes employing gas engine withignition systemfuna le to operate against the possessor of such newdiscovery.

Itis an object of this invention to provide a means for propellingaeroplaneswhich will operate independently of electric ignition, orother employment of electrical power, sothat an aeroplane equipped withthis invention will not be affected in its operation by any means whichwould ordinarily affect an aeroplane driven by apower dependin upon-someform of electricity in its prope ling means.

With the development of the gas engine in the automobile industry, ,thesteam engine y'has also been. reduced in wei ht and with the present daywater tube boi er producing `steam from an oil or hydrocarbonv flame'the weight of the fuel required for the operation of such a steamengine has been correspondingly greatly reduced. This inventioncontemplates the employment of an oil burning steam engine for producingthe power required tooperate an aeroplane of either-lighter than air orheavier than Iair e.' f

4 Flle the preferred form of 4this inventhe y present type of 1, 1925.Serial N0. 72,471.

tion is illustrated upon the accompanying set of drawings, yet it is tobe understood that minor detail changes may be made therein withoutdeparting from the scope thereof.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a preferred form of aeroplanepropeller constructed vin accordance with this invention.

`Figure 2 is a similar viewwith the outer blade removed.

Figure 3 is a central horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3--3of Figure l, with parts broken awa and illustratin the connectionsbetween t e propeller an the source of driving power.

Figure 4. is a view in transverse section taken upon the line 4-4 onFigure 2.

This invention contemplates the omission of the'conventional 'steamengine employing pistons reciprocating in steam cylinders for applyingpower to the driving shaft of the propeller by utilizing steam underhigh pressure to apply the driving power directly to the propeller. InAcarrying out this invention, the shaft l carrying' the propeller ismounted in the customary hearings 2 upon the framework of the aeroplaneand is formed with a central Vpassage 3 therethrough, the inner or endfarthest from the propeller being directly -connected to the source 4 ofsteam under high pressure. The propeller carried on the free end of theshaft is -of the conventional approved form and it is preferably made ofmetal having a central hollow portion 5 'connecting with the centralbore 3 in the driving shaft and extending into each blade.. It ispreferable to construct the propeller of two plates, 6 and?, as shown inFigures 2 and 3, secured to each other with steam ti ht joints by theuse of gaskets or other pac ing, not shown, and held together withseries of bolts about the periphery ofthe plates and hub. The conduitsor hollow pbrtions 5 in communication with the source of steam underhigh pressure through the propeller shaft are preferably 'constructed inthe manner shown in Figure 2, `that is, the conduit in each blade 'beingprovided with a plurality of tangential branches 8 extending through therear edge of each blade. These tangential branches 'are reduced in crosssection as they approach the edge of the blade and are then. providedwith e/nlarging Afunnel shaped discharge openln 9 to the atmosphere,forming steam no es, whereby the impact of the steam under high pressureagainst the surrounding atmosphere will impart rotation to the propellerblades of sufficient rapidity to propel the aeroplane in the manner.desired.

It is preferable to construct the conduits 5 and branches 8 circular incross section -adapted to the other, and tangential branches from saidzle, and the branches are arranged tan enl tial to the main conduit 5 inorder that t ere' be as little resistance aspo'ssible overed to.

the passage of the steam therethrough;-

What I claim is:

An aeroplane propeller comprising twov separable plates secured to eachother having a steam conduit in each *blade and a chamber in the hubfclsed on one side and conduits leading to the rear edges ofthepropeller blades each having a restricted pori' an enlarging funneldisthe edge of the blade. PETER PETERSON.

tion'opening into charge nozzle on open into the propeller shaft on

